The traditional method for designing a course has always been to come up with a list of topics or competencies that need to be covered, find a book or course materials that discuss those topics, and then write a syllabus and course outline. ICD uses a backward design process to ensure that the course is learning-centered, systematic and integrated. The steps of ICD are:

1. Identify important situational factors
2. Identify important learning goals
3. Formulate appropriate feedback and assessment procedures
4. Select effective teaching/learning activities
5. Make sure the primary components are integrated

When considering situational factors, the instructor needs to consider the nature of the subject matter, the characteristics of the students and instructors and environmental factors. We might think that this is common sense—I know whether I am teaching a lecture or lab class, I know the basic demographics of my students, I know what equipment I have available—but spending some time focusing on these topics and discussing them with colleagues can assist with really gaining perspective to start the ICD process.

Learning goals describe what students will learn and be able to do. They should be actionable, visible, measurable and developmentally appropriate, as well as understandable by both students and instructors. The learning goals should lead to authentic, motivating tasks. The heart of ICD is using Fink’s Taxonomy of Significant Learning to write these learning goals. Unlike Bloom’s Taxonomy, Fink’s is interactive, rather than hierarchal. It encourages writing goals that require higher levels of thinking and learning even for entry-level classes. The six categories of the taxonomy with examples of the terminology used for each are:

1. Foundational Knowledge—Remember, Understand, Identify, List
2. Application—Use, Critique, Solve, Assess, Analyze
3. Integration—Connect, Relate, Compare
4. Human Dimension—Interact with others regarding…, Understand others in terms of…
5. Caring—Get excited about, Be more interested in, Value
6. Learning How to Learn—Identify sources of information, Formulate useful questions

Once you know your goals, you can establish your assessments and learning activities. Some people might question why, in the steps above, creating learning activities follows the assessments. But if you know what your final methods for determining how students have accomplished the learning goals are, then you can design the learning activities in steps to move the students successfully to those objectives. For example, while the final assessment may be a culinary practical exam, learning activities could be class time to practice skills and perform Internet research to devise recipes. Or at the end of the lecture, the learning activity might be to write three questions about that course material that could be used in a quiz or test.

This all leads to ensuring that all the components are integrated. Once goals, assessments and activities are aligned, they should be incorporated clearly into the course syllabus so that students have a clear understanding on how everything fits together. This process is also essential for providing the evidence for course evaluation and accreditation. The accompanying PowerPoint slides include graphics that will give you a better understanding of the ICD process.

Jean L. Hertzman, Ph.D., CCE, is associate professor and assistant dean of operations at William F. Harrah College of Hotel Administration, Las Vegas, Nev.

References
Fink, L.D. (2003). Creating Significant Learning Experiences: An Integrated Approach to Designing College Courses. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

Fink, L.D. (Winter 2007). The power of course design to increase student engagement and learning. peerReview, (9)2, 13-17.

Noyd, R.K. & The Staff of the Center for Educational Excellence, US Air Force Academy (2008). A primer on writing effective learning-centered course goals (CEE White Paper 08-01).